The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Delphinium. Botanically, it belongs to the Genus Delphinium and is a hybrid belonging to the Elatum Group (also referred to as Delphinium elatum types). The new invention will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99. Delphiniums are hardy perennials grown for landscape use.
The new Delphinium, xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99, was discovered in 1997 by the inventor in Abbenes, The Netherlands. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99, was discovered growing amongst a large population of seedlings. The inventor grows over one million Delphiniums from seed each year for cut flower production and also evaluates and looks for plants that are unique and have market potential. The seeds that are sown are collected from open-pollinated plants and therefore the parentage is unknown. The parentage of the plants that were open-pollinated are also unknown as they were seedlings as well and not asexually propagated plants.
The new variety of Delphinium, xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 is a unique cultivar. It is characterized by its compact habit and by its purple violet, fully double flowers that are long blooming. In addition, the flower stems of the new invention are desirable as a cut flower due to their ability to last 1.5 weeks after cutting, the presence of lateral branches, and a bloom color that does not darken with age.
xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 is unlike any existing cultivar of Delphinium. Double flowers exist on other cultivars, but flowers are typically defined as having 8 petals in place of the typical 4. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has a combination of 22 petals and petaloids. No other Delphinium of this type known to the inventor or recorded in the literature has double flowers like xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99.
There are other cultivars included in the Elatum Group of Delphiniums that are classified in the small to dwarf group (defined as reaching less than 1.5 m) that also have double flowers. None of these cultivars have double flowers to the extent of xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 and none of them have a flower color that is similar to that of the new variety. The cultivar that is the closest in comparison is xe2x80x98Eminencexe2x80x99 (unpatented). Although it has double flowers and is similar in height, it differs from xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 in that the flowers are double only to the extent as described above and they do not have the numerous petaloids that xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has. The flower color of xe2x80x98Eminencexe2x80x99 is a salmon pink (RHS 49D) rather than purple-violet like those of the new invention.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by tissue culture in Abbenes, The Netherlands by the inventor in 1998. The liners were produced by tissue culture, planted in the field and the invention was subsequently propagated by cuttings. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations both by vegetative cuttings and by tissue culture.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combination distinguish this cultivar from other commercial varieties. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions:
1. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has purple violet double flowers are unique: 5 showy sepals, 4 petals and 18 petaloids.
2. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has a compact growth habit with a height of 90 cm and a spread of 40 cm.
3. The flower stems of xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 are ideal for cuttings: lasting 1.5 weeks after cutting.
4. xe2x80x98Darwin""s Pink Indulgencexe2x80x99 has a long bloom period: individual stems bloom for approximately 4 weeks with side branches blooming later for a total bloom period of approximately 12 weeks.